Ospreys

The osprey--also called fish eagle, sea hawk, river hawk, and fish hawk--relies on the bounty of the Bay for its meals.

Louise Zeitlin

Osprey At A Glance

APPEARANCE: Ospreys are raptors with dark brown and white feathers and a white stomach.

SIZE: Ospreys weigh two-and-a-half to four-and-a-half pounds and their wingspan can reach five to six feet.

DIET: Fish make up almost 99 percent of the osprey's diet.

INTERESTING FACT: The osprey is one of the most widespread birds of prey and can be found on every continent except Antarctica.

SOURCE: NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC
Movebank

Osprey Tracking Project

CBF's Osprey Tracking Project allows students and teachers to track three ospreys, one living on Virginia's Port Isobel Island and two on Holly Beach Farm in Maryland, from their home and classroom computers. The page includes lesson plans for teachers and puzzles, projects, and more for students, as well as a link to video of the tagging process. Learn More
Jennifer Delgamo

Osprey Feel the Heat

Ospreys are powerful fliers and migrate to South America for the winter. Is climate change affecting their patterns? Find out in this article from CBF's flagship magazine, Save the Bay. READ NOW

The Osprey Garden: A Chesapeake Eden at Risk

June 25, 2024

In the 1960s and ’70s, osprey almost entirely disappeared from the Bay region. The reason? The harmful insecticide DDT. After the chemical was banned, the Bay's osprey population rebounded. But today, in one portion of the Bay, osprey have plummeted to even lower levels.
Our 5 Favorite Things About Spring on the Chesapeake

May 7, 2024

The locusts are blooming, the ospreys are cheeping, and the calendars are filling up! Now's the time to savor everything there is to love about spring on the Chesapeake.
Osprey Concerns Spur Renewed Discussion of Chesapeake Bay Menhaden Management at ASMFC

May 1, 2024

The effects of the Chesapeake Bay menhaden fishery on osprey sparked discussion at the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission’s (ASMFC) Atlantic Menhaden Management Board’s April 30 meeting.
Chesapeake Osprey Reproduction Problems Linked to Menhaden Depletion in William & Mary Study

July 17, 2023

Osprey nests in Virginia’s lower Chesapeake Bay are failing at the highest rate ever recorded, according to data released this month by the College of William & Mary’s Center for Conservation Biology.
Save the Bay News: Ancient Sharks, Jellyfish, and Mighty Mussels

August 20, 2021

Our monthly roundup of engaging and educational content for you to enjoy at home. This month, we look at what's happening with some of the Bay's critters.